Economics

The course studies the basic structure of China's economy by exploring its historical origins, cultural backgrounds, geographical features, and institutional evolutions. It examines changes within the economic and business environment in China and their likely implications on Southeast Asian economies.

The course is intended to provide a broad introduction to the principles of microeconomic and macroeconomic analysis. Course content varies from year to year, but would typically address the microeconomic analysis of the behavior of individuals and firms, the operation of markets, and government intervention in markets through taxes and regulation; and the macroeconomic analysis of the behavior of economy-wide measures such as output, unemployment, money, interest rates, and inflation.
 

The course develops a sufficient understanding of fundamental financial accounting concepts, terminology, and techniques in order to comprehend typical corporate financial statements provided in annual reports and apply accounting knowledge to business decision-making. 

This course explores the concept of global sustainability including limitations and challenges, economic growth and technology, globalization and fragmentation of production processes, population and inequalities, and national and international economic and political instruments.

This course provides an understanding of the recent developments in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology and their consequences on the banking sector and central banks. Cryptocurrencies and Fintech questions the banking system in its essential intermediary role but also central banks as provider of legal tender currency. Cryptocurrencies like BTC built on blockchains, work on a decentralized scheme disrupting our hierarchical system. This is a serious challenge for Central Banks and regulators since the banking and financial system greatly influences the state of the economy. Cryptocurrencies - the Bitcoin in particular - were born as a way to develop an alternative to the existing system judged corrupted and biased by human action. Cryptocurrencies are more than just the design of a new monetary system, it offers an alternative design for the organization of the society based on decentralization and trust. The course investigates the consequences of their further adoption on banks and central banking together with the response of Central Banks and regulators. After a review of our traditional banking and financial system, the course introduces cryptocurrencies starting with Bitcoin, the Ethereum, stablecoins and CBDCs. The last part of the course is dedicated to the emergence of different regulatory frameworks at the international level, in particular MICA and Genius Act.

This course explores the global impact of economic phenomenon and social change in the advanced economies from the First World War to the present day. It introduces students to major themes including the causes of economic growth and recession, the sources of social change, and the impact of war on society and the economy in an international framework. The course charts the crises of the inter-war period: the Great Depression, mass unemployment, and the rise of fascism and communism, as well as the development of mass leisure and the growth of a consumer society. The course also explores the prolonged boom following the Second World War, a time of conspicuous consumption but also of commitment to social welfare, both of which fueled the sexual revolution and youth culture across national borders. The course then explores the impact of globalization following the oil crisis of 1973 and subsequent instability, and looks at developing nations and environmental concerns in the later decades of the 20th century. The emphasis on contemporary and international history enables students to understand the experience of their own society and economy more fully in the light of global and long-term trends.